Jigging experts Jason Mitchell and Tyler and Sara Trampe share applications for Northland® Fishing Tackle’s Deep-Vee Bucktail and Flashtail Jigs.
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BEMIDJI, Minn. (May 2, 2024) – “I’m a big fan of the Northland Deep-Vee Bucktail Jig, especially in spring,” says JMO Host and Northland Pro, Jason Mitchell. “Where a lot of people go wrong in cold water is fishing hair too fast. I use a slower retrieve.”
But he’s also been fishing the Northland Deep-Vee Flashtail Jig over the past year, and says there are times when that produces equally as well.
“Don’t limit yourself to fishing bucktail or tinsel; switch ‘em up and let the walleyes tell you what they want. If you’re around fish, go from the Deep-Vee Bucktail Jig with an Eye-Candy Minnow or Paddle Shad trailer to soft plastic and Deep-Vee Flashtail. The fish will decide for you. That’s the best advice I can give anybody.”
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Mitchell was just out on Green Bay filming and caught the biggest fish on a Northland Deep-Vee Bucktail Jig tipped with an Eye Candy Paddle Shad.
“We tried everything out there and the hair jig and plastic out-fished everything 9 to 1. It was incredible. We dialed it in, which doesn’t always happen when you’re filming,” laughs Mitchell.
“Green Bay can be a fickle, quickly-changing fishery. White works good out there, and purple, too. When you get in dirty water, especially in front of the river, you’ve got miles of water pushing dirty water in, which is often warmer. Seems like something with a little chartreuse works good in those conditions. But you must keep trying different things. I mean, sometimes black is the best of everything.”
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Mitchell says the magic is in how hair and tinsel pulses, as well as the color combination in the hair jig reflecting light, too.
Mitchell continues: “On Devils Lake white can be good but you’ll get eaten up by pike. Purple is good, stuff with green, whatever. I’m not as particular about color in North Dakota. A lot of times, it’s about having confidence and just keeping your bait in the water. When I was guiding, I’d have three people plus myself trying different colors and it was always a head-scratcher. Like the guy or gal catching way more fish on the only brown and orange bait we had in the boat. Nothing makes sense with walleyes. Just look at Wonderbread.”
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Another key bit of wisdom with hair or tinsel jigs? If fish are short biting, add a stinger hook—the Northland kind with the red rubber tab. “A lot of times you’ll catch fish on that small treble hook that you wouldn’t have boated otherwise.”
Technique-wise, Mitchell gives the reel a couple cranks, lets the jig drop, then repeats. “It’s simple to fish, also part of its appeal. Anybody can learn to fish a hair jig. And you know when they thump it, that’s for sure. Not much finesse involved.”
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Deep-Vee Oversized Eyeball
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“DEEP-VEE” design that’s thicker on top and thin on bottom to track straight and fall fast.
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Again, not particularly militant about color selection, Mitchell does pay attention to jig weight for certain depths, especially on rivers. “If there’s no current, I fish a ¼-ounce from 10 to 13 feet. If there’s more current, I’ll switch to 3/8 oz. If the cadence requires a drop, crank, and a pop and twitch cadence, I will err on the heavier side for a lot of different depths. You need to find bottom; that’s where the walleyes are most of the time.”
In terms of rigging, Mitchell ties his braid direct to a fluoro leader with an Alberto Knot.
MITCHELL’S GEAR
- Scheels Jason Mitchell 7’ Medium Power, Extra Fast Action Rod
- Scheels 2500 Size Scheels Spinning Reel
- 10-pound Braid
- 10-pound Fluoro Leader
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Wisconsin Hair Metal
Tyler and Sara Trampe of Wisconsin’s The Sportsman’s Journal TV, and avid Northland users, are pretty excited about the bites they’ve experienced on hair and tinsel—and what’s to come soon during the rest of the open-water season.
“The Northland Deep-Vee Bucktail is a classic,” says Tyler. “It’s especially deadly for early-season walleyes from ice out up to 50-degree water temps. Hair has taken over Green Bay for monster walleyes when nothing else will produce. The darting action is perfect for trigging active fish and the subtle movement of the hair is key in getting stubborn walleyes to chew. Sara and I love using it tipped with a Sting’r Hook when fishing Green Bay walleyes; helps get hooks in fish that pin it to the bottom! The hair is also great for holding scent attractants for dirty water situations like river fish during the spawning run. Love the color selections Northland offers along with the oversized eye on the Deep-Vee jighead.”
As far as the Deep-Vee Flashtail Jig goes, Sara is a big fan, more for its fish-catching than Christmas-like bling.
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“I absolutely love this jig for all species. We especially use it for walleyes, and it produces all year ‘round. But when that water temp is a little warmer in the low 50’s to 60’s, this is our go-to. I fish it tipped with an Eye-Candy Minnow, which helps slow the fall and adds a little bulk to the profile in stained water.”
Tyler adds: “It’s perfect for snap jigging flats and we find it most effective around wood for walleyes in clear water lakes. With the added plastic, we can slow the fall enough for bringing it over limbs and dropping it right in the zone! Plus, the extra flash is perfect for calling fish in. I think the flash signals baitfish to walleyes. And, again, the Deep-Vee head is perfect for fish to key in on with the oversized eye. I can’t stress that enough in the Deep Vee series: Big walleyes do target the head of their prey, so the large eye is a deal maker.”
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ABOUT Northland® Fishing Tackle
In 1975, a young Northwoods fishing guide named John Peterson started pouring jigs and tying tackle for his clients in a small remote cabin in northern Minnesota. The lures were innovative, made with high quality components, and most importantly, were catching fish when no other baits were working! Word spread like wildfire, the phone started ringing… and the Northland Fishing Tackle® brand was in hot demand! For 40 years now, John and the Northland® team have been designing, testing and perfecting an exclusive line of products that catch fish like no other brand on the market today. Manufactured in the heart of Minnesota’s finest fishing waters, Northland® is one of the country’s leading producers of premium quality jigs, live bait rigs, spinnerbaits and spoons for crappies, bluegills, perch, walleyes, bass, trout, northern pike and muskies.
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ABOUT Bagley Bait Company
The personality of any company comes from its founder. Jim Bagley was an inventive, fun-loving, passionate fisherman who became one the most respected legends in the fishing tackle industry. In late 2010, Jarmo Rapala and a group of investors bought Bagley Bait Company. As an admirer of Jim Bagley for his attention to quality and of his product ingenuity and innovation, Jarmo initiated significant changes in operations, enhanced production processes and quality control. Now in 2020, Northland® Fishing Tackle, along with Jarmo as its Chief Lure Designer, maintain the legacy of creating premium balsa crankbaits and topwater lures, as well as jigs and spoons for both freshwater and saltwater anglers.
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